Our work
In working with families in New Zealand, we believe we must work on all of the following levels:
- Reducing stress on family life as a society
- Creating a community life and systems of support that allow families to flourish
- Working with families to make the changes needed to be safe and nurturing for their children.
Iosis is primarily committed to this third strand of ensuring family well-being in our community.
Our approach
Iosis facilitates transformational change within the family through a process of Whakapono, Whakapapa and Whanaketanga (Believing, Belonging, Becoming).
Whakapono (Believing) - We seek to hold the hope of meaningful and lasting change for whānau until they are able to grasp it for themselves.
Whakapapa (Belonging) - We seek to support and enable whānau to rebuild broken relationships, reconnect with cultural identity and invest in support networks that are healthy and positive for the direction they have set for themselves.
Whanaketanga (Becoming) - We seek to create ‘wairua (spiritual) moments’ of encounter, insight and inspiration through which whānau are able to connect their learning with who they are now and who they seek to become.
Our services
Iosis supports parents and family members to change their family life for good through providing a range of free services and programmes.
Our services include social work, counselling, in-home parent coaching and financial mentoring. Iosis has social workers based in a number of primary and secondary schools in South Auckland. We also provide temporary care for children and young people through our foster care service.
Experiential learning is the basis for all of our programmes, ensuring that new skills and understanding quickly transition to practical, real-life application. During school terms at our Family Learning Centre in Manurewa we run two popular Toolbox Parenting Groups—Preschool Years (0-4) and Building Awesome Whānau (0-12 years)—Triple P Discussion Groups, our innovative Family Resilience Programme, and a course on non- violent communication. See our brochures for current term dates and course content.
Our individualised Men’s Development Programme helps men to develop new strategies for a family life free of violence and offending. Our Kids Feeling Safe Programme is for sibling groups of children who have witnessed family violence and where one parent has a Protection Order. And our Iosis Whānau Centre is a therapeutic residential parenting programme for mothers who need additional support around parenting. The primary goal is for mothers in the programme to become safe and protective parents.
